Kaohsiung 147 is a local japonica rice variety. (Photo: Meinong District Farmers’ Association)
Over 5,400 packages of Kaohsiung 147, a local japonica rice variety, have been exported to South Africa. The Kaohsiung City Agriculture Bureau announced this Monday that the 3-kg packages are part of the first batch of Taiwanese rice exported to be sold on the South African market.
Since the Meinong District Farmers’ Association obtained plant breeders’ rights and authorization in 2012, it has designated 500 hectares for farming the rice, both trademarking the variety and strengthening its brand recognition. The association’s secretary general, Chung Ching-hui, says the successful production is due in part to government assistance, including plans that have supported stable incomes for farmers.
According to the Kaohsiung City Agriculture Bureau, Meinong District has become the most important rice production area in southern Taiwan. The bureau’s director, Yao Chih-wang, noted that they subsidize crop insurance premiums by 50%, the largest subsidy among county and city governments in Taiwan.
Yao emphasized that this export is both a step for Taiwanese agricultural products to enter the global market and a step in spreading Taiwan’s rice culture with the rest of the world.